Bikes and Commentary from Brit (and Amanda)

So apparently it had to come to Blogger de-activating our blog to persuade us to update it... Here goes!

So I've had this idea recently that I should transcribe Brit's eloquent explanations and opinions of politics and local issues. She often explains current events to me in a way that brings it all together. I'm looking over her shoulder right now at her Google Reader feeds, which include over one hundred blogs. She reads national news sources, blogs on state and local politics, conservative and liberal opinions, national education updates, gay rights blogs, lacrosse news (of course), etc. etc. etc. Needless to say, she's a wealth of information. Brit is always there to give succinct, coherent explanations, and I'm always left thinking that I should transcribe her commentaries for others' benefit. Something like, "Brit explains politics". I'll often give her a sounding board, ("Can you explain the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?" "Why does the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell keep being delayed?") and she'll just go.


Anyway, we both recently read an article in our local alt-weekly, Seven Days, about Burlington's disappointing bike culture, and I decided to record our conversation about it (and who knows? Maybe we'll send a letter to the editor?). In a nutshell, the author complains about Vermont's poor showing in national bike-friendly indexes (behind Kentucky and Mississippi - ew), and how there are few protections for cyclists (apparently it's completely legal to run bikes off the road and pelt them with trash - who knew?). This was our conversation about it-

Amanda: I was surprised about the laws and how no one can do anything about them. With people throwing stuff at cyclists and everything

Brit: That happens. I actually had a beer can thrown at me in New Zealand when I was biking. Drivers are nuts.

Amanda: But it's a two way street...

Brit: Especially when the cyclists go the wrong way down a one way street

Amanda: Hahaha right. But it seems like the drivers don't respect the cyclists, and the cyclists don't know the laws either and make things more complicated. Last week I was driving with Laura, and we almost hit this kid who was biking in the middle of the road going the wrong way. I honked at him, and he yelled at me. I was worried he was going to get killed, but he didn't care. I felt like the jerk for doing that. How can you expect things to be safe when you don't obey the rules?

Brit: There's always a lot of conflict between cyclists and drivers- it's always been an issue. You remember that in the news when we were in Portland [story here]. It's always been an issue. The thing is, in Burlington as opposed to other bike-friendly cities like Portland and Denver is that the bikers here don't know the rules.

Amanda: Why do you think things are different here? I mean, Burlington is a really progressive city.

Brit: I don't know why things are different here. Well, first off, it's a lot smaller. Number two is that the bike infrastructure isn't as clear as in Denver or in Portland. Three, cyclists don't really police themselves. If someone was biking down a one way street going the wrong way in Portland,  the other cyclists just wouldn't stand for that. It is a very laid back culture here.

Amanda: It's interesting, I feel like I don't see a lot of serious cyclists in town. It's usually the hipsters and the college kids riding their bikes through town (usually without helmets), and they don't seem to know the laws. I think I see more people biking down Shelburne Road when we go for our rides [a long bike route out of town] than I do in town.

Brit: Well, I think it might be because it's also a smaller town [than Portland or Denver]. People think that they're just going to be riding for a short distance, so they neglecting helmets and might go the wrong way down one-way streets because it's only for a few blocks.

Amanda: I think a lot of the problems go both ways. The cyclists suck at biking. They break the laws, they cause accidents, and they make everybody look bad. I hate to say it, but part of me wants to throw trash at cyclists who do stupid stuff when I'm driving. It's hard not to yell at people who are close to getting themselves killed and probably going to cause an accident. On the other hand, it's obviously unacceptable to run people off the road and disregard bikes. I'm not sure how to fix it though... maybe more education? Better laws? I think it would also help if the police would hold both cyclists and drivers responsible for their actions.

Brit: Agreed on the cops.I feel like I spent a lot of this post blaming things on the cyclists, but that's only because you're going to get disrespectful drivers wherever you go.  Overall, cyclists are safe, drivers are respectful, and it's a few bad actors that are ruining things for other folks. But at the end of the day, if Burlington wants to be respected as a cycling mecca, then cyclists need to start taking more responsibility for the way they ride.

Tour, Version 2.0

The new place

I like working with kids, until they run through my yard

I have limited internet access this week before my wireless is set up on Monday, so unfortunately I can't update much on the new house yet.

Right now, the most pressing issue is that a bunch of neighborhood kids have taken to running through my yard. There are two boys, both about 14, one on a bike and one running. They know they're not supposed to cut through, because my landlord has explicitly yelled to them that she's going to have them arrested (she's fantastic). I've yelled at them a few times myself, but it doesn't seem to help.

I have two ideas that I need input on.

Put a spike strip across my yard. May be an issue for the runner, but it will help with the kid on the bike.
Put a clothes line across the yard.

(The kid doesn't actually wear a storm trooper costume, but this is the best picture I could find to explain it)

I may have to resort to the clothes line because I'm having trouble finding a spike strip. Thoughts?

I'm in Vermont now, looking for a place. For those of you who aren't familiar with housing lingo, I thought I'd put together an abbreviated glossary.

If it says...	It means...
Cozy	Small
Cute	Small
Charming	Small
Small	Really small
On busline	Absurdly far away from town
Walking distance to town	Crappy place, likely a frat house
Sunny	There's not much else going for it
Heat not included	Heat is really expensive
No picture of the house	House is awful
Email me for more details	You'll never hear from me again

Ways to let everyone know that you're a prospective student

Ways to let everyone know that you're a prospective student

• Use a tray at Commons and take one separate plate for each type of food
• Walk five people abreast on Martin's Way, preferably as slow as possible
• Stop at random buildings and observe them thoughtfully, even things like the pump house or the carriage building
• Look around alertly, especially at things no one else notices, like the tops of buildings, squirrels, and the bronze map.
• Be completely stunned or appalled when the streakers come through
• Act extremely excited and engaged in the 8:30am statistics class you attend
• Act like you know where you're going and that you're really cool, even though your outfit, attitude, and accessories completely give you away (see below)
• Carry a blue folder, walk with your parents, be completely clean-shaven, be energetic and alert, and wear a freshly pressed button-down shirt

Beer and Life Choices

Pretty much the only reason why I chose to go to grad school in Vermont. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Fun Things I want to do with Amanda when we live together #1

Since my significant other is giving me a bit of a shove to start posting, I'm starting a fun new series on this blog. It's called...well...you probably already figured it out. And in honor of spring and the prospects of a sunny summer, here's something I want to build once we finally live together.

Weekend Project: How to Build Your Own Cheap, Simple Solar Oven

Categories: Green Building, Simple Living

Posted on Friday, April 10th, 2009 at 4:05 pm by dpacheco

We got a great response to our post “Cheap “Sun in a Box” Solar Cooker Wins Climate Change Prize” from earlier today. It seems a lot of people are into solar oven cooking!

We also got a lot of inquiries about how you can build your own solar oven. It just so happens we have detailed, step-by-step instructions on hand. And so, due to popular demand, here’s your guide to constructing your very own cheap and simple solar box cooker.

The following is an excerpt from The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit by Stephen and Rebekah Hren. It has been adapted for the Web. (All drawings are by Rebekah Hren, adapted with permission from Solar Cookers International.)

Simple Box Cooker

Renter friendly.

Project Time: Afternoon.

Cost: Inexpensive ($5–20).

Energy Saved: Low. Cooking’s relatively low energy requirements (4 percent of average energy budget) and solar cooking’s intermittent availability make dependence on at least one other cooking system all but certain.

Ease of Use: Moderate. Cooking can be done only on relatively sunny days and works better in summer than in winter.

Maintenance Level: Medium. How long this solar oven lasts depends on how well you take care of it. If it gets wet repeatedly, it will eventually turn to mush, so bring it inside when it’s not in use.

Skill Levels: Carpentry: Basic.

Materials: Two large, shallow cardboard boxes—the inner box should be at least 18 x 22 inches, preferably just a little bit taller than your pots; the outer box should be a little larger in all dimensions so there is at least 1–2 inches of space between the two boxes when they are nested. You’ll also need corrugated cardboard at least 6 inches longer and wider than the outer box to make the lid; window glass (or Plexiglas) at least 20 x 24 inches and longer and wider than the inner box by 2 to 3 inches; a thin, black metal sheet, sized equal to or slightly smaller than the inner box; 50 feet of aluminum foil; dry plant fibers such as leaves or straw or at least 50 sheets of newspaper, quartered and crumbled; glue silicone caulk; and rigid wire (hanger wire, for instance).

Tools: Paintbrush, utility or other knife, pencil, straightedge.

Caution: Solar cookers, especially parabolic varieties like the CooKit (described next), have the potential to cause retinal damage from the concentrated solar rays. Be careful to avoid looking at the bright reflections from any of these solar cookers.

Construction Steps

Cut the window opening in the outer box. See figure 4.3. Turn the outer box upside down. On its bottom, center the inner box and draw a line around it. Cut out this piece to make a window opening the same size as the inner box. There should be a small rim on all four sides, 2–3 inches wide. On the lid piece— the extra piece of cardboard—center the outer box and trace around it (these are the fold lines). Extend these lines out to the edges of the lid piece. Center the inner box between the fold lines on the lid (that you just drew) and trace around this box as well. Cut only three sides of the inner line, two short sides and one long one. Fold up the resulting flap for the reflector, creating a window frame opening the same size as the inner box.

Adjust the height of boxes, if needed. See figure 4.4 Set a cooking pot next to both boxes. The inner box needs to be just a little taller than your pot. The outer box needs to be just a little taller than the inner box. If the boxes are too tall:

On the inner box make a mark about 1 inch above the top of the pot and draw a fold line at this height straight around the four box walls. Score the fold lines with a blunt edge such as a spoon handle.

On the outer box make a mark about 2 inches above the top of the pot and draw a fold line at this height straight around the four box walls. Score the fold lines with a blunt edge such as a spoon handle.

Cut the corners of both boxes down to the fold lines. Fold the sides outward along the creases.

Trim the inner box flaps. When the walls of the inner box are folded down to the right height (or if you didn’t need any adjustments), trim the flaps to make them as narrow as the small rim around the window opening on the outer box (refer to the first step if necessary).

Join the boxes. See figure 4.5. Turn the outer box right side up, so the window opening and rim are down. Spread glue on the inside of the rim. Turn the inner box upside down and lower it into the outer box, onto the glue. Press the small flaps against the inside of the rim around the window opening to join the two boxes into one double-walled box, now open at the bottom (which should be facing up at this point).

Insulate and seal. Without disturbing the drying glue, carefully spot-glue aluminum foil on all four walls and the underside of the inner box, covering all surfaces between the two boxes. This layer of foil helps insulate the cooker. Lightly fill the gaps between the two boxes with crumpled newspaper, plant fiber, or other insulation. Add a few strips of cardboard and more crumpled newspaper or other insulation on the underside of the inner box (which should be facing up at this point). Close and glue the flaps of the outer box to seal the bottom of the cooker.

Glue foil inside the box and lid. Turn the box right side up. Dilute glue 1:1 with water and, using a paintbrush, spread it thinly on the dull side of sheets of aluminum foil. Press the glued sheets of aluminum foil tightly and smoothly like wallpaper to the inside and rim of the box. A few wrinkles won’t hurt. Set the box aside to dry. Repeating the procedure, glue foil to the underside of the lid flap (the folded-up center part only).

Cut, fold, and glue the corners of the new lid. See figure 4.6. With the lid upside down (foil facing up), make one cut at each of the four lid corners, just to the first fold lines. (The cuts should be parallel to the long side of the lid.) Score all fold lines with a blunt edge and fold along the creases with a straightedge such as a board. Overlap and glue the corners, and secure them with clothespins or clamps until the glue is dry. To make quick clamps, cut cardboard-width slits in a small stack of cardboard pieces.

Insert the window. Spread silicone caulk along the underside edge of the window opening rim (outside the cut edge of the foiled reflector piece), then press the glass in firmly but carefully to make a good seal with the caulk. Let the box and lid dry overnight.

Make an adjustable prop. See figure 4.7. Make small holes in a corner of the lid reflector and the side of lid. Loop string through the holes. Make several notches in a stick and tie the stick at both ends to hold up the reflector and allow angle adjustments.

OR

Bend a sturdy wire at both ends and glue corrugated cardboard strips to the lid and reflector as shown. The wire can be inserted into any of the corrugations for angle adjustment.

Add the black tray and “cook” the cooker. Put the black metal sheet inside the box. (The pots will sit on this light-absorbing sheet.) Put on the lid, with the lid reflector propped open, and aim the cooker toward the sun for several hours to drive out the last bit of moisture and any paint or glue fumes.

Cooking Directions

Put food in dark pots. Use with dark, tight-fitting lids.

Choose a cooking location. Set the cooker on a dry, level surface in direct sunshine away from potential shadows. For best results, solar cooking requires continuous, direct sunshine throughout the cooking period.

Put the pots in the cooker and replace the lid. Put the pots in cooker. If you’re cooking multiple dishes, quicker-cooking items should be placed toward the front of the cooker (opposite the reflector) and slower-cooking items toward the back, where access to sunlight is best. Place the lid on cooker.

Orient the cooker. Orient the cooker according to the details below. Once oriented, the cooker doesn’t need to be moved again during three to four hours of cooking. For longer cooking, or for large quantities of food, reorienting the cooker every couple of hours speeds cooking a little. Food cooks fastest when the shadow created by the cooker is directly behind it.

To cook a noontime meal orient the cooker so that the front side (opposite the reflector) faces easterly, or approximately where the sun will be midmorning. In general, it is good to get the food in early and not worry about it until mealtime. For most dishes you should start cooking by 9 or 10 am.

To cook an evening meal orient the cooker so that the front side faces westerly, or approximately where the sun will be midafternoon. For most dishes, it’s best to start cooking by 1 or 2 pm.

For all-day cooking orient the cooker toward where sun will be at noon or early afternoon. The food will be ready and waiting for the evening meal.

Adjust the reflector. With the adjustable prop, angle the reflector so that maximum sunlight shines on the pots.

Leave the food to cook for several hours or until done. There is no need to stir the food while it is cooking.

Remove the pots. Using pot holders, remove the pots from the cooker. (CAUTION: Pots get very hot.) If you won’t be eating for a couple of hours, you may want to leave the pots in the cooker and close the lid. The insulative properties of the cooker will keep the food warm for a while.

Enjoy!

Care and Storage

Store your cooker away from rain and animals, preferably indoors. Keep the glass clean.

My life right now...

What I've Learned About Applying to Grad School

I thought I'd describe my foray into grad school applications - the frustrations, what I would have done differently, and how I got to where I am right now. Maybe it will help someone applying to a similar program, because I definitely went into it without knowing anything.

First off, I guess I should mention that I applied to school counseling programs at seven different schools-

• The University of Southern Maine (USM) in Gorham, ME
• The University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington, VT
• UMass Amherst, in Amherst, MA
• Boston University (BU), in Boston, MA
• Syracuse University*, in Syracuse, NY
  *I cancelled my Syracuse application pretty quickly, once I realized that there was
  no chance of living there.
  
• The University Maryland at College Park, in College Park, MD
• Marymount University, in Arlington, VA
  

Each had different requirements, programs, number of credits, tuition, etc. I ended up making a spreadsheet to keep them all separated. I had also planned on applying to the University of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver, but dropped those from the list when I knew I wouldn't be in Denver. That and the fact that UColorado wanted me to pay to be fingerprinted - apparently a state requirement. Between the fingerprinting and the application fee, they were asking for upwards of $100. That was a no-go.

I guess one of the main things I'd say is that you shouldn't hesitate to contact them. On several separate occasions, I had to take it upon myself to find out information that they weren't going to bother telling me. For instance-

• I had actually gotten through to the second (interview) round with Maryland, but they had been sending all my email to abschoen@HAMEELTEN.edu and I had never heard back from them (wtf!?) I had to fight with them on the phone for an hour to convince them that I had in fact applied to their program, and they needed to find my application and figure out what the hell was going on. Then - tada! - it turns out that I not only had applied, but was being asked to interview! Funny how Maryland is supposed to be the best counseling school in the country, but has given me the most grief...
  
• I just found out today that BU won't be making their decisions for at least a month, so going there is completely out of the question. I've already interviewed with and heard back from everyone else.
• Syracuse, Amherst, and Maryland were missing parts of my application after the due date, and had just considered my applications "incomplete". I hadn't realized that one of my recommendations had gotten held up in the mail, and would have been screwed had I not tried to call them.

On that note, I should also mention that there is typically no good way to find out if your application is complete. The schools rarely (if at all) update their websites. You should probably just contact them to make sure... also, good luck getting the proper contact information, as it seems to rarely be posted correctly. Most of the schools have websites that are incredibly confusing and difficult to navigate, and often have outdated or simply wrong information. Don't be surprised if you find a program's website giving two different application dates, number of credits, or cost of tuition for the same program.

Anyway, I realize this has gone much longer than most people are willing to read... I think my main advice for now is to check and double check your information as much as possible, because these schools aren't going out of their ways to help you out.

The Tangled Webs We Weave

I had an interesting conversation with Brit a little while ago about careers, and how things are different for our generation compared to those before. For our parents, your education led to a career, which was a straight shot and unlikely to change after that. There were doctors and teachers and lawyers and accountants, and paths were unlikely to weave or overlap. For the baby boomer generation, it's a big deal to change careers, and doing so is almost looked down upon as a frivolous or impulsive decision - something that may happen with a mid-life crisis. To them, jobs all look like parallel train tracks. Once you get on a track, you have one destination, and it's hard as hell to change lines or divert your course. They simply don't cross - lawyers don't just decide to become doctors, and people don't go from teaching to accounting. To do so would mean having to metaphorically derail. Sure, there are some exceptions, but it just doesn't happen for the most part.

I'm realizing that our generation is different, and our parents are concerned about it. Nowadays, there are many more shades of gray in jobs - for instance, Brit's current job straddles the line between politics and journalism, and I'm looking toward a career that combines psychology and education. And not only do these jobs combine different aspects, but they require us to bounce between different careers in the beginning, which seems to scare the shit out of our parents. They see it as instability or indecisiveness, but in reality, it may just be a strategic move. It wouldn't be at all unusual for me to take a job in teaching before I began work in counseling, and Brit is keeping her options open by considering future jobs in sports information directing or being involved with communications in a school.

The fact is, we now have to look at jobs as more of complex, intertwining branches on a tree. To continue with the analogy for a second (bear with me), we now have the opportunity to grow, rather than chugging along on the same train tracks (pun intended). It's now ok to jump from one branch to another, and doing so will not derail your life, so to speak. It's becoming expected for our generation to do this in order to work our way up the ladder. I mean, look at Michael Bennet - he was the superintendent for Denver public schools, and was just chosen to replace Ken Salazar in the senate. That's a pretty big change of pace, and one that seems to be becoming more accepted.

I think that especially with the recession, our parents are freaked out about our decisions to change things up. After all, they look at this as being frivolous and picky in a time of serious financial hardship. But the thing is, we're going to be ok. We've got good educations under our belts, and even if they aren't exactly related to what we end up pursuing, it's alright. As Brit said to me yesterday, she may have gotten her degree in journalism and just started out, but it the boat is sinking, it's time to get off. We're all learning to roll with the punches in a changing job market and economy. And it might not always be a bad thing. After all, Brit was let go from her last job, but hit the ground running (or sprinting, some may say), getting a new, and perhaps better, job 10 days later.

So I guess my point is, don't look at changing career paths as indecision or immaturity - look at it as growth and change for the better. There are becoming more and more ways to get to where you want to go, giving us the opportunity to have lots of different experiences that may make us more well rounded and all-around more prepared for what life may throw at us.

[Thanks to James Cridland and Jus' fi for the railroad and tree pictures (respectively).]

Wall Street

The economic crisis almost doesn't bother me.

In a way, I am in a very fortunate position. I'm lucky because I have no student loans that could hold me down. I'm also lucky because I own no property that could otherwise drag me down. I am certain that I have lost a lot of money in my investments, but I've found that the best way to maintain my morale is to not look at those investments. I figure I wasn't going to touch them for another six to seven years anyway, and by then the stock market will have recovered. Right?

I live off of $40 a week in groceries and another $30 a week in other expenses. So really, when I see the stock market falling 700 points, all I really think is, "Finally, everyone else is being brought down to my level."

But everyone is afraid right now. And I won't lie. I'm afraid too. But really, the only thing that scares the hell out of me is that the economy is going to collapse and Amanda and I will be trapped on opposite sides of the country. An imploding economic sector, I can deal with. But that thought is truly scary.

Road Signs

I really like road signs. They’re supposed to be official government endorsed information devices, but sometimes I think they’re too serious for their own good. Weird and ironic phrases slip through and the warnings can be ridiculous.
Some of them are unintentionally hilarious because they try so hard to be grave. I find it amazing.

I can compare it to a particularly strange situation in high school with my vice principal. It was the Spring of my senior year, and I was hanging out in the cafeteria while a bunch of kids were screwing around with a vending machine.

Eventually everyone realized that the pranksters had managed to put something into the device, and were watching the food rotate and laughing hysterically. Cookies, soda, chips, and a purple glittery dildo circled in the machine. Eventually, the vice principal showed up, and not being able to pin down the culprit, angrily yelled at all of us (while clutching the sparkly sex toy in his fist). “That's why there is no student commons. Because there are dildos in the vending machines!” He chucked the phallus into the trashcan and stomped out of the cafeteria.

It made the entire situation ten times better. He was so stern, and was ready to threaten us with anything to make everyone behave.

I find road signs that way. They try to be so serious, and completely miss the levity of the situation. In Badlands National Park in South Dakota we passed a simple sign that said, “WARNING: PLAGUE IN PRAIRIE DOG COLONIES”.

What? But it was for real. Others I’ve seen in the last few weeks include depictions of stick figures running away from tsunamis, being flung from their bikes, getting gored by buffalo, falling into geysers, and having toll gates smashed on their heads.

I also like unusual animal crossings (like Elk, Moose, Bison, etc.) and runaway truck ramps/roads (particularly if there’s a runaway truck on it). Something about all these signs amuses me to no end. They transcend every language, and their imagery often translates something very different: RUN FROM HUGE WAVES, DANCE WITH BUFFALO, and PARK BIKE IN RUT FOR FUN RIDE!

Some day my friends will all be sitting at home with their antiques, coin collections, and knitting, but I will still be driving around, looking for strange signs to photograph.

Hats

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Oregon delegation at the Republican National Convention has been accusing the Texas delegation of being extremely obnoxious with their hats.

Personally, I think they are just biased against hats. They made fun of my hat too.

But other allegations included the Texans bringing their alternate delegates and guests down, causing them to expand beyond their designated space on the convention floor.

I can believe that would be annoying. These hats probably need more space than the average Texan. They are that big and obnoxious.

As I write, the hats are streaming into the Minneapolis airport. It makes me feel for my crew who have to connect through Dallas. Allow me to replay a conversation from this morning:

Trey: Yep, there's a Texas delegate.
Justin: There's another one over there.
::silence as the terminal is flooded with big hats::
Trey: Man, we are fucked.

The Top 12 Most Ridiculous and Amazing Moments of this Summer

12. The Fireworks Warehouse

While driving out to Portland, Brit and I stopped at a heavily advertised fireworks store called Pyro City in Wyoming. We wanted to see what it was like, but quickly left when we realized that someone breathing too hard would probably cause a nuclear explosion.

11. Moving to Portland
Upon moving into Brit’s house, I quickly learned that we lived next to a cool bridge, and between a police station and a wrestling ring. You can hear the matches on Friday evenings, and people have been arrested in front of our house.

10. The Night Ride
Brit and I entered a 15 mile night bike ride which required costumes and bike headlights and tail lights. Shortly after getting in a fender-bender and mending our bikes (which had been on the back of the car), we arrived in full Hawaiian regalia and rode with a huge pack of 2,000 riders through Portland, all similarly decked out in lights in costumes. Seeing all the lights flicker was like looking at Christmas light displays.


9. Snow in July
We decided to go for a hike up Larch Mountain on July 5th. The hike has a cool lookout with views of Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and Mt. Jefferson. Unfortunately, when we got to the trailhead, the whole area was covered with snow and fog. We were terribly underdressed, expecting hot weather in July. We took a few quick pictures of where the mountains supposedly were, and got the hell out to warmer weather.


8. Wildfires
As my mom and I were driving back across the country, we ended up driving through a wildfire in Wyoming. Firemen escorted us through the smoldering area, and everything was covered in ash and smoke. Firefighters guarded the road to stop the fire from crossing it, and tents and trucks covered a huge parking lot that served as a temporary basecamp for all the people working.


7. Masada, Israel
In Israel, we woke up at 3am and boarded the bus to drive to Masada, the Jewish fortress, and hike the mountain in time to see the sunrise. After several mishaps, we left very late and scrambled (well, literally ran) up the steep stairs to get to the top just as the sun started to come up over the desert.


6. Wall Drug
Wall Drug is a giant mall/tourist trap/drug store in Wall, South Dakota, which advertises for hundreds of miles in every direction. Because Sturgis motorcycle rally was only several miles away, the place was crawling with bikers and shirts depicting the rally. It’s so overly hyped up that apparently there are signs in Afghanistan and the South Pole indicating how many miles you are from the store. It has strange oddities and paraphernalia, including a six-foot jackalope (jackrabbit/antelope mixed breed) that I got to ride.


5. Team USA Rugby Game
Brit surprised me by taking me to an NA4 (North America 4) game between the two USA teams, the Hawks and the Falcons. Highlights included a man's shirt being mostly torn off, a player who leaped OVER a ruck (like, through the air), and getting free Frisbees, shirts, and bags.


4. Prom Dress Scrimmage
This is always a blast at the end of the semester. Despite breaking my thumb in the game, I had an awesome time running around with everyone in ridiculous dresses from the salvation army, getting covered in mud, and tearing them to shreds. Hey, we also made it into the alumni magazine. Check out the slide show here - click the link on the right side.


3. HamTrek
Well, I have to toot my own horn a bit and mention the fact that I did a triathlon at the end of school. I'd like to say that I flew through it and it was a breeze, but I felt like I was going to vomit/die at the end. I got the cast on my hand the day before the race (it was waterproof so I could swim with it), but I can't blame too much of my exhaustion on it - I just wasn't in the best of shape. While I didn't get the best time, I was really excited just to be able to finish the race.

2. Chaka Kahn
So maybe this shouldn't be number two…but I think it probably makes for the best story. As I was flying from Portland to Syracuse for my cousin’s wedding, Chaka Kahn and her band got onto the plane with me at my layover in Chicago. They had apparently played the night before for 50,000 (I was sitting next to one of the band members on the plane, and he mentioned it). She was sitting a few rows behind me and playing in Syracuse that night. Everyone chatted about her for the whole flight.


1. Adirondack Adventure
Always amazing. Crazy games, getting to romp through the woods for five days, and playing in canoes and kayaks. The kids are great, you get to be filthy without being judged, and we saw loons, frogs, bald eagles and leeches. Yum.

"It's an anywhere road for anybody anyhow"

Driving from New York to Portland took a long time.

I imagine the reverse will too.